I Will Fight For You
by Annabethwisegirl12
Summary: Maggie Forel is Syrio's daughter, or so she thinks. They are called upon one day to help train one of the young Starks how to wield a sword and become a water dancer. But her world gets turned upside-down when their fathers' are killed and they have to fend for each other. They meet Gendry while in hiding in the Knights Watch. And who is her real family? (Eventual Gendry x OC)
1. Prologue

Headnote: Hey, this is my first Game of Thrones fanfic. It will include Arya, Syrio, and later on Gendry as main characters aside from the OC. Still have to come up with a name for her... I will follow along the plot as much as possible aside from the fact that the OC is a certain someone's sister that no one knows about except for Syrio! There will be eventual GendryxOC. But I will explain in later chapters how she fits into everything. So please read and review! Hope you enjoy!

I never knew my mother. Syrio, (or papa, in the rare occurrences I use that name) talks about her rarely. He has never given me a description of her looks, but only of her personality. When I was younger I would imagine her in different ways, sometimes with short brown hair and a smile that would bring yet another smile to anyone in sights of her, even though she rarely used it, which made it so special. Or maybe she was a blonde beauty who was a graceful dancer, which would explain my golden hair and blue eyes. If I wasn't in the sun a lot I would probably have white locks. I look nothing like my father, who had dark brown curls poofing out of his head, dark almond eyes, and bushy eyebrows. Yes, we look _nothing_ alike.

The only things that are similar between us are that we are graceful on our feet, as swift as a deer, as slippery as an eel, and are as calm as still water. We think the same way, because his teachings are seared into my mind. Ever since I could walk Syrio started training me in the water dancer profession. It is very difficult, even having 23 years of training, I will admit that every once in a blue moon I will slip, or stumble on a turn, or be a heartbeat late on my timing. Swordplay is also one of my many _talents._ I could beat all but few of the many knights of the_ Kingsguard._ And for me, I like to know that I can. I would bring it up whenever Syrio would scold me for stumbling on a turn, but he would then reply, "You shouldn't boast about being able to knock a sword from _most_ men's hands, if you cannot say the same for _every man's hand." _

I would let out an exasperated sigh and return, "But they are not _any man's hands,_ it's the knights of the Kingsguard! And they are supposed to _protect _Kings Landing, and how can they do that if they can't stop '_a little girl!'" _That's what men would say to me, that I'm a "foolish little girl who just has a very great amount of luck on her shoulders", whenever I would beat them in swordplay. I would give them a scoff and then take the money we had bet on. I _always_ win. They're technique is so hard and brusque, that they will fall to their knees when hit on the back of their knee, because it is firmly locked. They would go down and I would raise my blade to their chin and say, "And now you are _dead._" As my father would say when he would beat me.

I would then remove my blade and grab the money and flee, before they had the chance to all jump on me at the same time and "give me a lesson" as some knights had done the one time it happened when I was young and foolish. These knights had beaten me till I was well bruised and bloody, and when I returned home Syrio put me through three non-stop days of training. I would cry and exclaim "I'm hurt and can barely stand! Please, oh please papa, let me stop! Please, I need rest to heal, not training! I'm just hurting myself more!"

I would whine and cry and he would respond, "Do you want to feel this way again? That pain you feel right now will only happen again in a matter of time… That is if you are not ready, as you were this time. You must train so you can become ready for the next attack. They will not give mercy to you, so why should I? If you expect them to go easy on you because you are a girl, and they learn you are better than them, do you believe they will let you win and steal their gold? No, they will not. They will hurt you and make you bleed, but you must not cry, for you will give them the satisfaction of hurting you. You must fight back, or flee, but whatever you do, do not let them see you hurt for they will continue until you are dead. And then who will give you mercy? Death? No, Death will not give you mercy; he will hurt you more than they had. Which is why you must never give in to Death, he will torture you for the rest of your days in the seven hells."

He then grabs my face and dries my tears, for I have stopped crying while thinking through what he just said. "So sweet child, what have you learned?" he asks me.

"To never let Death catch me." I say.

"And what if he finds you, what will you say to him?"

I thought about my answer for a heartbeat before I answered.

"_**Not today.**_"


	2. A Request

**So the first chapter was basically a prologue, introducing you to my OC, Maggie. But this is where it really starts. So here's the next chapter. Thank you to those that reviewed, it means so much to me! Please R&R! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones, just my OC.**

I bound down the cream-colored stairs never once looking down to see the next step. I _know_ the next step. And the one after that and the one after and so on. I know every nook and cranny, step and well, wall and window in King's Landing. I always zip through King's Landing every day, Syrio insists that I do. When I started I got easily confused and ended up missing from home for a day. When I started I could only run full speed for a few minutes. But now I could never get lost, I know this place too well, and now I can run for half a day straight and not get tired. I love the way I feel when I run. I can go anywhere I want and can do that any _way_ I want. I can jump through windows, crawl up walls, and weave in and out of people's tents. Most people don't see me because I'm too quick. I feel _free. _

I jump off a couple of steps and land safely on my feet and then sprint to my left. I bolt through the road, ducking under pipes and avoiding clumsy merchants. I smile the whole time, I love it when I run.

Our little house comes into view as I make my way to the outskirts of Kings Landing. It is nothing special, it's quite small actually. It's a wooden house and is one story, but its home. I vault over the fence that surrounds our property and dash into our backyard. The backyard is hidden from view so no one can see us training. My feet make contact with the stone patio where we practice our swordplay. I come to a quick halt in front of the back door. I open the door and slip through _as quiet as a shadow._ I go to the bucket of water that we got from the well in town and pour some into a little cup. I consume the water quickly, my throat burning and then set the cup down when I notice something odd.

I silently creep over to fancy cloak that is draped over the wooden table that is in the kitchen. I reach my hand out to touch the fabric. It's very expensive and high quality. I turn the cloak over in hand and notice the direwolf sigil stitched on the front. I run my fingers over the embroidery. _The direwolf is the Stark sigil, why would the Starks be here? Where is Syrio?_

That's when I hear it, the slight creak of the old wooden floor. Syrio would _never_ make the mistake of being detected when approaching his enemy from behind. I can feel my heart start to quicken. _Calm as still water, fear cuts deeper than swords._ I relax when I relay Syrio's words of wisdom in my head. I act as if I haven't heard anything and I feel the body move closer to me. _Definitely not Syrio._

Just when the presence is a foot away from me, I slip my hand under the table and grab the wooden sword that I used to practice with. I turn with it and face my enemy ready to strike. I see a man in his late forties (maybe) who is tall and has stringy dark hair that falls to his chin. He must be some high lord because he is dressed very fancy and I could tell that it was very expensive. I could never afford that. I glare into his eyes, a stone cold blue.

"Why are you in my house?" I demand, my voice showing no fear. He studies me from head to toe and then his eyes fall on my wooden stick.

He raises an eyebrow at me, "I hope that you are well aware that the weapon you are holding is wood and not steel." He says it like he is amused, but not like he is mocking me.

"Well then I hope that _you_ are 'well aware' that this _wooden stick_ can beat your _steel_ any day." I say venomously.

"You sure are confident in your skills. Who is your teacher, I must ask?"

"That is none of your business." I reply as he takes out his sword, testing me. I don't think he wants to hurt me, I think he just wants to see how good I am. _ Well I will definitely show him._

"If you would care for a duel, I would-" I cut him off as I spin to my left and hit my wooden stick to the back of his hand, hard and stinging. He drops it almost immediately, like he touched scorching fire. _Just in the right spot_. I swoop down and take his sword as he bends down to grab it. _As swift as a deer._ I come back up and put the steel to his neck.

"Well, I would say I just 'won' that duel. So now tell me," I push the blade a little harder to his neck, "why are you here?" He looks stunned about how I did that to him, but then a smile starts to slowly creep up his lips.

"If you would so kindly release my blade from my neck, I would love to explain to you why I am here." He says.

"Not a chance."

"Do you know who I am child?" He asks out of curiosity.

"Well I know that you are a Stark by your cloak. There is a direwolf stitched onto it." I reply. The stranger nods his head, approvingly. He waits for me to continue but I have no other evidence to make an assumption. He quickly flashes his eyes to his chest and then back up to me. I follow his eyes and notice a silver brooch of a hand on a circle.

My eyes widen and I quickly bend down on one knee, but I don't release the sword from my grasp. I don't know what he wants from me yet, and I don't know if I will have to make a quick getaway and if it comes to that I would like the comfort of having steel in my hand. "Lord Hand." I say while looking down.

He chuckles slightly, "Yes. I never thought I would like to wear this badge around and yet here it has saved my life from a girl half my age. Please stand up; I am not here to harm you. I have a request for you and your father, Syrio Forel that is if you would like to accept."

I stand and look at him, mystified. "A request?"

He nods and hands me a parchment. I grab it and return his sword to him. I don't know why but I feel that I can trust him. The Starks have been known to be kind and trustworthy, but also fierce and harsh as the winter's unrelenting wind.

I turn the parchment over in my hands and notice the seal of the blue direwolf melted onto it. I open and read down the scroll. It listed his name and titles, which I skim over; not really interested in it and get down to the body of the letter.

_To Syrio Forel,_

_It has come to my attention that my youngest daughter, Arya Stark wishes to learn the skill that is swordplay. She wishes to learn how to wield a sword and fight like her brothers. I am not very thrilled in her feelings but I have allowed her the chance to learn. I have asked around, who would be the best teacher for my daughter and the responses were nothing but you. They say your lessons are strange but that it will turn my daughter into an excellent fighter. If you accept, I would gladly pay you for your teachings. If you refuse I will understand and this matter will be settled. _

_Sincerely,_

_The Hand of the King, Lord Eddard Stark_

I wasn't even finished with the letter when a smile started to make its way up my lips. A young girl, a _lord's daughter_, _the Hand of the Kings daughter _wants to learn how to use a sword and fight? I couldn't believe it, this was too insane to be true. But if it is true, I would gladly teach this girl the ways of a water dancer. I would even force Syrio if he refused. I was the only girl who ever wanted to pick up a sword rather than a needle, and now another wants too. I couldn't wait until Syrio came back so I could tell him the news.

I look up at Ned Stark, "Is this the truth? Your daughter wants us my father to teach her how to use a sword?"

"Unfortunately yes, and she is very stubborn so I know that there is no way that I will be able to convince her otherwise." He tells me a slight chuckle in his voice.

"But I would like to extend the offer to you as well. You seem very capable of using a sword correctly. I'm sure Arya would be pleased to have a female instructor as well." Ned says.

I'm practically grinning now. "Well of course I would love too, and I'm sure Syrio wouldn't mind taking in another student. But I will have to show this letter to him and converse with him." I say, giddy.

He nods his head and puts his sword back into its sheath. "Well I must be going, important court issues to attend to unfortunately." He says glumly while picking up his cloak and turning to the front door.

"Lord Hand," He turns around to face me. "They were right, his teachings are a bit…strange, I hope you understand this." I finish.

"Well if they have shaped you into the fighter that you are now then I will be happy for them to be taught to my daughter." He replies, smiling.

He leaves the house and I wait for Syrio to return home. When he does I relay all that had happened. His expression doesn't change until the end. There is a long pause while he evaluates the situation. My happy mood slowly starts to slip away the longer he stays quiet. I am so relieved when he breaks out into a grin and tells me that he will gladly take up on the offer. We discuss the matter a bit more before I head off to bed. I know Syrio is training in the other room even if he is so quiet. Some nights when he is in the mood he will train till the break of dawn.

I cannot wait until the day I get to meet Arya Stark and I get to train her how to be a water dancer and how to become a part of the sword. I go to sleep for once, with a smile.


	3. Memories

**Headnote: Shoutout to** **BehbaLovesTea and Domino91 for the amazing reviews! Thank you to all those who are reading this and reviewing! Please drop a review if you have the time, it really helps me update faster. I promise we will meet Arya in the next chapter, sorry for the wait for that to happen.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones, just my OC, Maggie.**

I awoke the next morning feeling light on my feet. Well, _lighter_ on my feet. Water dancers always have to be graceful and swift, and ready for anything. I can't recall the last time I was this happy. The only time I can think of was when I grabbed my first blade.

I get out of bed and change into cleaner clothes than the soiled ones from yesterday. My clothes always get dirty when I'm running or training. I only own three dresses and they're very plain. It's not like I care what color they are or how many jewels are laced onto it, but they are very dull…and also soiled. I always wear thin pants with a white shirt over it. I had a pair of boots and flat shoes that helped me with my dancing. I was almost always barefoot though, I just loved the feeling of having my feet out. It was calming, and also quieter. But I knew that I would have to wear a dress for where I was going today. I had to get to the castle so I could tell Lord Eddard that we will train his daughter. I had a feeling that I would get questioned if I were to wear "men's clothes" so I forced myself to put on a light blue dress. I put pants on though, just in case.

I leave my room to find Syrio sparring with the air. I smile and walk past him into the kitchen. I grab an apple off of the counter to break my fast. I don't eat very much; it helps to be light and tiny when you are a water dancer. I don't starve myself but I have grown accustomed to little food. I take a bite of the red flesh of the apple and the juice fills my mouth. I swallow and take another bite. I watch Syrio practice by himself while I eat the apple until I reach the core. I toss it into the wastebin and turn to Syrio.

"Would you care to stop fighting a ghost and face a real target?" I question him, playfully.

He doesn't look at me when he answers, "It does not matter whether there is a real person or not. Practice is practice and without practice, you die. Besides, it is much more challenging to face an invisible enemy, for you cannot see what they are going to do next, you must feel it." He continues on with sparring with the ghost.

"I'm going to have to go to the castle, to tell Lord Eddard that we accept his request." I tell him.

"I know, here take this letter. I wrote it out last night while you were asleep. I believe they will want it in ink." He explains, while handing me the parchment.

I grab it and say my farewell as I take my leave and head out to the castle. I don't think the guards will let me into the castle if they see me drenched in sweat and grimy so I decide to walk. It was very weird to walk but it was also comfortable, but my legs were practically begging me to run. I make my way through the crowded and hot streets of Kings Landing. It was very noisy with all of the merchants screaming at you to buy their things. I got very annoyed at how they would grab my arm as I passed and begged me to buy something. Now I have another reason as to why I hate going into town.

I tune out the shouts and yells and try to push my way through the throng of people. After a few footsteps I realize that my steps are in sync to some sort of beat, a _clang_ actually. I soon realize that my hearing is focused on the blacksmith's hammer being thrust at metal. I don't remember hearing it before but it was pretty loud around me so I guess I couldn't have heard it. I continue on keeping in time with the steady hits against metal as I remember my time at the forge.

_Flashback_

_ I sprint down the crowded street, panting loudly. I was being chased by some of the knights of the Kingsguard when I had tripped them up when they tried to tell me that I was a stupid little girl. I was twelve at the time, still very young and reckless. I dashed around people that were in my way and even slid under a man's open legs but the men were still hot on my tail. I turned around to look at them and I realized that they were very close, __**too close.**_

_ I ducked to where they couldn't see me and turned a sharp right and then hid behind a barrel. I held my breath, praying that they didn't see me in my desperate attempt to slip past them. I let out a sigh of relief as they passed by me. I leaned against the barrel, trying to catch my breath. I had never run that fast or hard when I saw one of them pull out their sword. I knew I could never beat them in a fight, even if I had a sword. I was still learning how to use a wooden stick. I knew my best chance was to flee, and that is just what I did. _

_They had gotten far enough past me so I decided to get out from behind the barrel. I took a couple of steps to go back from where I came from when I hear an ear-shattering scream. I whip my head around as I see one of the little girl shout at the knights my exact location. They spun around and came bolting at me, even though they were still pretty far away. _

_I turned and ran back the way I came even though I was still panting and my legs wobbled. I was weak from running through the Red Keep all morning. I knew that I wouldn't last long as I started to slow down. _

_All of a sudden my legs fall out from beneath me and I tumble to the ground in a heap. I could hear their shouts getting closer and closer. __**This is it, Death has me in his grasp and I'm going to go with him.**_

_I then remember all of Syrio's teachings, to never give up. I shakily start to push up with my arms, but they are shaking so much from exhaustion that I fall again. I close my eyes in pain. I then feel someone grip my arm, but I use what's left of my strength and shake it off. _

"_Not today." I mutter as I feel now two hands grab my shoulder and lift me up. _

_I'm scared to open my eyes, to see the god of death. So I keep them shut tight as I feel myself being lifted off the ground. _

"_Not today…not today…not today." I repeat the same words over and over as I am being carried to Death's home. _

_Somehow I push back my fear and open my eyes to see the ground moving beneath me. I blink the black spots from my eyes and then realize that I am moving, not the ground. I raise my eyebrow in curiosity as I realize that I'm being carried on someone's back. I know it is not Death because this body is warm and full of heat, not cold and full of ice. My breathing has returned to normal and I'm not so tired anymore. I lift my head to see a mess of raven black hair that is glistening with sweat. _

_I realize that we're losing speed so I tap the mystery person on the shoulder and whisper, "I can run now."_

_He hardly stops as he lowers me onto the ground and he picks up speed with the weight off of his shoulders. We speed through the city as the knights chased us. I don't know why this boy helped me, I do not know him. I haven't even had the chance to really look at him but I could already tell that I had never seen him before. _

_I noticed he was starting to slow down and I started to pull into the lead before I knew it. The boy suddenly vanished and then just as fast an arm reached out and grabbed my arm, causing me to stop. I turned as the boy pulled me into a building and lead me far into the back of the shop. I soon discovered that it was a forge. He pulled me down behind a work bench and we watched the opening of the shop as the knights rushed past. _

_We waited a long time before we decided that it was safe. I let out a long sigh, careful this time not to attract attention to myself like the last time. We both collapsed onto our butts after squatting for a while. Our breathing calmed and then there was a long, awkward pause. I could tell that he wanted me to say something but I was too stunned to comprehend any words, and I also didn't know if I could fully trust him yet, even if he just saved me. _

"_You're welcome." The boy says hotly. _

_I turn my head to look at him. He must be around the same age as me, maybe a few years older, but definitely no more than two. He was sweaty and his skin was red, after running for so long and then staying inside the blistering heat of the forge. I could only guess that I looked about in the same condition. He had a mess of dark black hair that was slick with more sweat. He had grease smudges all over his face, arms, and clothes. He had the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen. They seemed to shift when the light hit them differently. I became lost in his eyes as I wondered how they could look like that. He was very handsome. I never paid attention to boys like that, ever. I was either beating them at everything they threw at me or they were too afraid to come near me. My father could be very scary at times._

"_Can you speak? Or have I rescued a mute?" He asks stubborn as a bull._

_I shake myself out his eyes at that comment. "No, I am not mute. I can talk very well, actually." I reply, getting annoyed at his attitude. The heat in the room was definitely not helping my temper. _

"_Well then a bit of gratitude would be nice, since I just saved your ass." He says, exasperated._

"_My ass was fine, thank you very much. How is that for gratitude?" I retort back. We glare at each other until I finally break my gaze away. Damn those gorgeous eyes. _

_I look down ashamed as I realize how I had been acting like a brat when he just saved my life. _

"_Thank you, really. I would have died if you hadn't come and 'saved my ass'." I tell him, seriously. _

_He lets out a faint laugh, "Your welcome. Anyway why were they chasing you?"_

_I don't hesitate before I answer him, "They called me a stupid little girl so I hit them." _

_He looks amused at me answer. "You hit a knight?"_

"_Five actually."_

_He is taken aback, "How in the seven hells did you take on five knights and not get captured?" _

"_Well I am very quick and hit very hard. But I would have been captured if you didn't help me." I tell him honestly._

"_Yeah, I suppose you would have." He says. _

_There is a long pause until he reaches out black smeared hand, "Gendry Waters." _

_So he is a bastard. I could care less what he was but I felt it was crazy that he told me that right when I first met him. Most bastards are ashamed to tell people of their heritage. I could tell that he thought that I was disgusted that he was a bastard since I paused, wondering whether or not I should tell him my name. _

_I was quick to recover though, "Maggie Forel." Gendry smiles and we shake hands. _

"_So Gendry, why did you help me? I've never met you before; you have no reason to save me." I question._

"_Well surprising as it may seem to you, some people like to help others." Gendry replies with a smirk._

"_Oh and is that supposed to mean you?" I ask him, teasingly although I knew that wasn't the real reason he saved me. _

_His smirk fades away and he tells me seriously, "I've seen too many people die and I couldn't stand there and watch it happen again." _

_I was surprised at his answer. I felt bad for him; I knew what it was like to watch someone die right in front of you without being able to do anything._

_I reach out and touch his shoulder, "I understand how you feel, thank you for not letting me die."_

_He nods and I take away my hand. "So how did you know that this place was safe?" I ask him._

"_Well for one I live here." Gendry replies._

"_You do?"_

"_Yes, I'm the blacksmith's 'apprentice', even though I'm the one who does the work." He tells me. He clearly doesn't like to be called that, or be used. He is stubborn._

"_So I guess that explains how you carried me on your back while running." _

"_Well you definitely have to be strong in this line of work." Gendry says with a smirk. I let out a soft laugh._

"_Tobho will be back soon and I don't think that he will be happy that I brought a fugitive here." He tells me._

_I nod and get up to leave, "Thank you so much, I owe you." He nods at me and I peer over the edge of the doorway and then leave the forge and Gendry with it. _

_I must have been there longer than I realized because it was already dark and most of the people left the streets. I hurry back home, picturing Gendry's gorgeous blue eyes the whole way._

_End of Flashback_

I smile to myself as I remember that fateful night that I met Gendry Waters. I hadn't seen him since, and more than once had I thought about going back to the forge to see him. I don't know why but I wanted to see him again, to see his eyes again. I can still remember exactly how they looked. I'll never forget him even though I'm sure he forgot about me.

I find myself at the castle's gate and stride up to the guards. "I have to speak with the Lord Hand." I tell them.

They scoff, and one tells me to "piss off". I can feel my anger boiling but I hold my tongue back.

"I need to speak to Lord Eddard Stark, it is important business." I say, seething.

One of them steps close to me, "You better get a move on girlie before I have your head on a spike."

I'm not afraid of him, but I use what little self-control I have left and turn on my heel and walk away. _I need to find another way into the castle._

I walk around the perimeter of the castle until I find an open window with a few good footholds. I look around to make sure no one is watching me before I take off at a sprint and grab the ledges and pull myself into the window.

I do a roll-over and land in a crouch. I look around and see no one else in the room. I stand up and walk across the small room to the pile of clothes sitting on a chair. I pick them up and head over to the door. I figure that no one will question me if I am carrying clothes, they will probably think that I am a maid.

I open the door and peer through the opening. I step out once I now that it's clear and walk calmly through the long halls. This place was all too new for me and I had no idea where I was going. I saw a young guard standing by one of the doors and I asked him where Eddard Stark was, smiling. He blushed and pointed me in the direction of his solar. I thanked him and winked behind me before I headed up the stairs. _A sword is not the only weapon I can use._

After getting lost three times I finally made it to the solar. I told the guard standing there that his daughter asked me to give him these clothes right away. It was the best thing I could come up with since I had picked up nothing but dresses. The guard gave me a questioning look but I whispered to him that it was 'lady problems and something that had to be discussed privately.' I laughed on the inside as I thought about my terrible lie but nonetheless, the guard knocked on the door and told him my story.

"Let her in." I could hear how confused he was in his voice. I thanked the guard and strode into the room. Once he realized that it was me he ordered the guard to close the door.

I set the clothes down on a lone chair and sighed.

"Lady problems?" He asked me, amusement evident in his voice.

"It was the best thing I could come up with since I just happened to grab the dresses." I countered.

"Did you have trouble getting into the castle?"

"If you call 'trouble' being threatened to have your head on a spike, having to climb through a window, and wonder around aimlessly for an hour, then yes I did." I tell him.

"Well at least you made it here, do you have an answer?" He asked.

"Do you think I would've come here if I didn't have an answer? Yes, we accept your offer and will train your daughter." I say, while handing him my father's paper.

He grins, "I can't thank you enough. I don't think anyone else would give their time to teach her. When are you planning to start?" He asks me.

"How about tomorrow after she eats lunch, she will need the energy." I say. He nods and I turn to leave.

"Wait, show these to the guards if they question you." He hands me a badge with the symbol of the direwolf, stag, and the hand of the king's badge. I thank him and then leave the castle.

I walk through the crowded streets again but I don't pay attention to the shouts anymore. I smile to myself as I keep my steps in sync with the blacksmith's hammer.


End file.
